I also have the Bob Dylan boy and Swiftie girl dynamic with my wife, just want to say thanks for writing this lol except I probably like the new album more than you. But I’ve found my prolonged interesting in Bob makes me feel a lot more empathetic to how excited she is around Taylor. Moving me from a “I hate pretty much all pop music” to “I’ll enjoy what I can enjoy and not care about what I don’t” attitude which I wish more people could join in on. The online hate is so performative, just listen to something you like.
Saying that 1989 was her last universally beloved album is revisionist history. Not only was folklore more critically acclaimed than 1989 (87 vs 76 on album of the year, 88 vs 76 on metacritic), but 1989 faced a lot of criticism on release, especially since it was still before music criticism went full poptimist. Not only were country fans annoyed at her transition to full pop, but Pitchfork didn’t even review 1989 upon its release because they found it beneath them — they did, however, review Ryan Adams’s cover version of the album because that was taken more seriously and that was when people were like “huh the songwriting on this is actually all right.”
I also have the Bob Dylan boy and Swiftie girl dynamic with my wife, just want to say thanks for writing this lol except I probably like the new album more than you. But I’ve found my prolonged interesting in Bob makes me feel a lot more empathetic to how excited she is around Taylor. Moving me from a “I hate pretty much all pop music” to “I’ll enjoy what I can enjoy and not care about what I don’t” attitude which I wish more people could join in on. The online hate is so performative, just listen to something you like.
Balanced and equanimous. Great piece.
Best take I’ve seen on the new album.
hey thanks ishi
Saying that 1989 was her last universally beloved album is revisionist history. Not only was folklore more critically acclaimed than 1989 (87 vs 76 on album of the year, 88 vs 76 on metacritic), but 1989 faced a lot of criticism on release, especially since it was still before music criticism went full poptimist. Not only were country fans annoyed at her transition to full pop, but Pitchfork didn’t even review 1989 upon its release because they found it beneath them — they did, however, review Ryan Adams’s cover version of the album because that was taken more seriously and that was when people were like “huh the songwriting on this is actually all right.”